Sawdust City Brewing Co. – Lone Pine IPA

When looking at a can of Lone Pine IPA, you can’t deny its rustic good looks. The weather beaten look of the old-timey white lettering on the black can makes one think of simpler times, before smart phones, hover boards and internet beer blogs. The majestic wind swept white pine on the label is also a nice touch (I’m a sucker for a nice white pine). All in all it’s a nice looking beer receptacle.

Aroma 7/11

Well, to quote the side of the the Lone Pine’s can: “THAR BE HOPS!” and lots of them. A trained nose might also pick up the notes of pine and citrus that are promised on the side of the can… My nose however does not. I do like a hoppy beer, so I’m excited to see if this one can live up to its hoppy scent.

First Impressions 8/11

This beer wastes no time in giving your taste buds to a crash course in hoppyness (Probably called something like “hopticallity 101” or something). The sweet fruity hops give a nice start to the sip which quickly transitions into the bitter flavour we all associate with a hoppy beer. The hops hit hard in this beer, so it is not for the faint of heart, but it’s well worth a second sip if you think you’re up to the task.

Smoothness 4/11

When it comes to flavour, this beer is about as subtle as a prostate exam from a gorilla. The lone pine has many good qualities, but doesn’t get a lot of points in the smoothness department.

Aftertaste 6 /11

After the initial blast of hops fade away, what’s left is a pleasant bitter, yet citrus-ey flavour. The only thing I really notice is the fact that the aftertastes sticks in your mouth for a fair while… At least 5 minutes by my count at this point, which could definitely be seen as a bit of a turn off. I have however had much worse flavours left in my mouth after a beer, so I won’t complain too much.

Do I Want Another One 7/11

Surprisingly, YES! Despite all of my talk about sticky aftertastes and intrusive gorillas, a few of these brews back to back still seems like a good night in my book.

Accessibility 9/11

Once again, this is a very accessible beer. Your local LCBO or beer store will likely carry this fine brew.

50/77

Despite a modest score of just 50/77, the Lone Pine IPA is a fine beer that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is a hard hitting, no nonsense beer that knows what it is, and flaunts it. I would definitely recommend this beer to hop enthusiasts and IPA lovers alike, but may be out of the league those who only like hoppy IPA’s as a friend.